The Displaced (A Fatui Kaeya AU)

Chapter 1: Escape to the Mainland

Authors POVS:

They all felt a wave of relief and after a few seconds later a ton of guilt.
Dainsleif gently lowered the unconscious Kaeya to the floor, laying his head on a pillow shaped rock and tending to the deep cut on his forehead by putting quite a few butterfly stitches over the wound, being the only thing he had on him close enough to medical supplies.

He wiped his cheek, looking at his hand and seeing the thin amount of maroon liquid on his ripped, black glove. A quiet sharp breath left his body with a shiver down his spine. He furrowed his eyebrows and turned his head to hear the royal mage and Zandik (Dottore) discussing something about taking revenge on Celestia, his view turned to Pierro's apprentice. Kaeya's passionate older brother, Eirik, Dain noticed how his breathing was mixing from unsteady to steady and back. He was wounded beyond treatable by the supplies he had on him.

Kaeya had already witnessed his mother die to the warrior god, known as Morax from a stone spear shot through her back and his sister suffer in agony as she was turned into an abyss mage (only to be killed by the Crimson Witch of Embers a few weeks later). He can't have his brother die yet, even though cursed with immortality like other Khaenri'ahns, they could all live until physically killed.

"I'm not cursed."

Kaeya's twin sister, Eide, had said, making Zandik and Pierro stop discussing, Dain's head whip around, and multiple of the other escapees go quiet while losing the will to breathe and live on any longer. She realised this was a big deal and took a breath before continuing.

"I got out before the curse spread any further than the main battle ground. Just like Kaeya, I had fled the escape group Dain set us with. As it was slaughtered only a limited amount of minutes later and got out as soon as the Archon of Sheznhaya placed down the wind current the Anemo Archon gave her."

Everyone was silent for a few moments (the people who were dying are deceased by now), Eirik was gripping a wound on his side, Pierro and Zandik were picking up supplies the Cryo Archon had left to make a raft to get them to land across the sea to the rest of Teyvat, Kaeya's father was comforting Tyra, and Dain was still by Kaeya's side.

"Let's make sure the raft can hold the surviving amount of us Zandik." The royal mage commanded.

"Yes Pierro." He replied, gathering rope and a few other bits and pieces.

Dain heard footsteps approach from the side, it was Eirik who sat down beside him with a painful grunt and a sigh. He was in a large amount of pain. He still gripped his side, the blood already staining his clothes and covering his hand.

"Are you going to be okay? It's really bad." He asked him.

"I'll be fine Dainsleif, well.. I won't, I'll bleed out atleast halfway across on the raft and you'll all have to dump me in the water. It's too much to have a dead body on board." He exhaled. "Or just leave me here. I don't mind, really but.. keep Kaeya safe for me, okay?"

Dain stared at him for a while, stunned.
He couldn't leave him behind.. why would anyone leave one of their own people behind?! Though Eirik was right about if he bled out on the raft it wouldn't be worth it to bring him but Dain didn't want to leave him to die on the island.

Though he was smiling, the pain and blood loss was getting to Eirik, his face was going pale, he was flushing grey. His eyes were getting heavy and he was started to cough as his throat was tightening. Dain's expression changed and it was almost like he was about to cry, but why? He barely knew Eirik, he had only seen him when he was watching over Kaeya while he was mentoring his training or they went out to the empty land of Khaenri'ah, why was he sad about this?

"Don't worry, it's okay nothing lasts forever, even you know that." Eirik had manage to get out before his head hit the sand.

A little while later the raft was finished. Dain picked Kaeya up slowly and walked over to the very impressive raft, which looked more like a small boat that could hold twenty people, so there was enough room to lay Kaeya down.

Dain sniffed, it felt unreal for him to watch someone drop dead right in front of him. He handed Kaeya to Zandik and Pierro and they laid him down in the raft. After that Dainsleif helped Tyra get in and pick up the small bag of needed supplies, and tossed Zandik and Pierro the oars they made to steer the raft and he hopped into the raft.

It wasn't a long ride, but Dain was still exhausted, he asked to lay down to take a nap and the others let him. He laid there beside kaeya, and stared up at the sky, slowly drifting off.

-------------------------

Pierro's POV:

We rowed for a while, while being completely worn out. I yawned, and heard Zandik groan in exhaustion.

"Zand..."

"Yes?" He cut me off. I pushed it aside.

"I'm planning on going to Sheznhaya, to maybe fill out a new chance at life, and discuss the idea of taking down Celestia with the Archon, you are welcome to come if you wish." I offered him.

His gaze seemed to become less tired, he thought about it, and nodded.

"There is no use going back to sumeru, I was expelled from the Akademiya, and chased out of my home town, so... yes. I'll take the offer." He smirked.

————————

We made it to the beach at the bottom of Starsnatch cliff shortly after.